Forum of aggrieved candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 General Elections has instituted a suit against some leaders of the party, including Chief Olabode George, Chief (Mrs.) Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, among others over alleged anti-party, alleging that some party chieftains worked against their victory during the last poll exercise in the country.
The group, comprising 24 candidates who contested various elective positions in the 2023 General Election, is led by PDP Candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District in the said poll exercise, Otunba Segun Adewale popularly called Aeroland.
The suit, filed by the group before a Federal High Court in Lagos, is dated March 26, 2024, was instituted against the PDP being the 1st Defendant, and six others, including Chief Bode George and Senator Kofoworola Bucknor who are BoT members of the main opposition party.
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Others are: Hon. Philip Aivoji, Lagos State PDP Chairman; PDP Lagos State Executive, former chairman of the party, Hon. Adedeji Doherty and Lagos State LGA PDP Chairmen Forum.
The case with suit No FHC/L/CS/534/24 was filed on behalf of the group by Omoniyi & Adeleke Law Firm (Primus Chambers) of 15, Alafia Street, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State.
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The PDP candidates, in the suit, submitted that as a party leader, one cannot lead two political parties at the same time and, therefore, cannot promote candidates of two parties at the same time, urging the court to rule that considering the evidence exhibited before it that the activities of the 2nd to 7th defendants constitute party offences that must attract sanctions.
This was just as the plaintiffs sought for an order of the court in mandating and directing the first defendant, the PDP to sanction, specifically expel the second to the seventh defendants from the party for party offences and anti-party activities, saying that this was in line with Articles 59 (4) and (5) of the first defendant’s constitution.
“This is in line with Articles 59 (4) and (5) of the first defendant’s constitution,” the party candidates said.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Lagos, Otunba Adewale, the Lagos West Senatorial candidate for the party, called on PDP National leaders to reprimand all the leaders that had worked against the party, and its constitution.
Adewale said that the group took the matter to court to strengthen democracy and ensure that those entrusted with party/public positions were held accountable for their actions and inactions.
The party chieftain said it was demoralising and disheartening for members to spend their hard earned money running into millions of Naira to buy nomination and expression of interest forms, only for the leaders of the party to work against the candidates during elections.
“We emerged as the candidates of the party in our respective constituencies, and the party duly submitted our names to the INEC as candidates for the elections.
“Having gotten this guarantee from both the national and state arms of our party and upon the release of our names by the INEC to participate in the elections, we went to town to campaign.
“We were buoyed with the belief that we were not alone in the struggle to actualise our dreams, since we have our party structure and party leaders who had sworn to uphold the constitution of the party.
“As the election days drew closer, this belief started disappearing as we started hearing rumour that some key leaders of our party, including the state chairman, were making clandestine moves to work against us,” he said.
Adewale alleged that some foremost leaders of the party, including some members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and those of the National Executive Committee (NEC), went on air to endorse the opposition Labour Party (LP) few days to the election, saying that they all did this in flagrant disobedience to the constitution of the party, which they all swore to uphold.
According to Adewale, these leaders openly worked for the ruling party, while still superintending over PDP elections, disclosing that they had written officially to the National Leadership of the party in April 2023, complaining about the development.
“We are seeking an explanation as to why the party collected money for forms, and made us waste our time and resources, only for them to ask the people not to vote for us but we never got any response from them till date.
“Nobody from the party has deemed it fit to call us either for an explanation or even sympathise with us on our loss though it was engineered by the actors of the party.
“As insensitive as these set of leaders are, they have not shown any remorse. Their position was also corroborated by members of our party LGA Chairmen Forum, who confirmed that they received orders from ‘above’ to work against us.
“We have, therefore, instituted a suit to the court to compel the party to expel all the actors, who openly worked against our interests.
“We are also asking the court to compel the party to pay damages for obtaining money from us by false pretense,” Adewale stated.
The party chieftain expressed the belief that this case would reshape the behaviour of PDP leaders, saying that the affected candidates were “resolved to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they bear the consequences of their actions.”
“We believe that this suit, though relatively new, will further strengthen our party and give hope to those who will be coming after us,” he said.
Speaking further, Otunba Adewale alleged that the in 2019, the leaders of the PDP in Lagos State worked for the Action Democratic Party (ADP), and worked for the Labour Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, saying that party candidates lost hundreds of millions of naira in the process.
“They would come to the party when election is near, but it cannot be business as usual. We risk everything to contest elections, yet our national leaders would still call people to vote against us.
“People who ought to be our leaders are working against us and against Nigerians. This would be the first time candidates are coming together to sue the party.
“These so-called leaders have not won their polling units before. PDP is the only party, where all manners of exuberance are permitted and the people would still come back to vie for positions in the party,” he said.
Adewale, however, said that this was the beginning of solutions to the problems bedevelling the party in Lagos State, positing that it was wrong for a BOT member of the party to work against it during elections.
He maintained that PDP, come 2027 would win Lagos State if it successfully took over the party from its current leaders in the state.
When contacted, Chief George, who is former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, said through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Olusegun Edward, that he would later respond appropriately to all the issues raised by the aggrieved party’s candidates at their press conference, as he awaits to meet with other leaders for discussion.
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